Ayesha Curry and Michael Mina’s MGM Grand Restaurant Is Closing After 5 Years

The popular eatery says goodbye to the Sin City.

International Smoke, Ayesha Curry and Chef Michael Mina’s Las Vegas restaurant will close on Jan. 19. The Barbecue restaurant, located inside the MGM Grand, opened in December 2019.

The restaurant features a variety of delectables curated by Curry and Mina, such as Ayesha Fresh-Baked Cornbread, Miso-Braised Chilean Seabass, and black truffle Ceaser salad, as well as several vegan options. In a 2022 interview with People, Curry said she wanted to provide an inclusive culinary experience for guests.

“I was like, ‘We need to create some sort of full, vegan spread where somebody can come in and say, ‘I’m going to do the vegan tasting menu,’ and it’s just as good if not better than everything else that we’re offering,” Curry said.

“So, just really focusing on being inclusive of all of the customers and guests that come through the door.”

Mina found inspiration for the restaurant through his travels. In 2020, Curry’s business partner told Haute Living in 2020, “The restaurant concept stems from both Ayesha’s and my own personal travels around the world. First the start of all cooking, and every country shares this culinary spark.”

Fans of International Smoke are not out of luck; the restaurant’s San Francisco location will remain open. The Michelin-award-winning chef Michael Mina owns five other restaurants in Las Vegas, including Bardot Brasserie, located at the Bellagio Hotel.

International Smoke appears to be the latest casualty of MGM’s restaurant shake-up. In October of last year, the hotel giant closed Della’s Kitchen; the following month, Avenue Cafe permanently closed its doors to make room for a Netflix-themed restaurant. Despite the restaurant’s closure, Curry still has plenty on her plate. The businesswoman owns the lifestyle brand Sweet July, which includes a skincare line, a coffee and tea line, and a flagship store in Oakland, California. The mother-of-three also hosts a cooking show, Ayesha’s Home Kitchen, on The Food Network and has authored three cookbooks.